Involvement of glutathione peroxidases in the occurrence and development of breast cancers

• Main Authors: Man-Li Zhang, Hua-Tao Wu, Wen-Jia Chen, Ya Xu, Qian-Qian Ye, Jia-Xin Shen, Jing Liu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2020-06-01
• Series: Journal of Translational Medicine
• Subjects: Glutathione peroxidase; Breast cancer; Reactive oxygen species; Occurrence
• Online Access: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12967-020-02420-x

Abstract Glutathione peroxidases (GPxs) belong to a family of enzymes that is important in organisms; these enzymes promote hydrogen peroxide metabolism and protect cell membrane structure and function from oxidative damage. Based on the establishment and development of the theory of the pathological roles of free radicals, the role of GPxs has gradually attracted researchers’ attention, and the involvement of GPxs in the occurrence and development of malignant tumors has been shown. On the other hand, the incidence of breast cancer in increasing, and breast cancer has become the leading cause of cancer-related death in females worldwide; breast cancer is thought to be related to the increased production of reactive oxygen species, indicating the involvement of GPxs in these processes. Therefore, this article focused on the molecular mechanism and function of GPxs in the occurrence and development of breast cancer to understand their role in breast cancer and to provide a new theoretical basis for the treatment of breast cancer.